Hey friends and fellow readers!

I had some good reads in October and November but I also read some of the worst books I’ve read all year. I did read some books privately so those won’t be on here. I may have been stressed by reaching out to potential employers but the good books helped. I’ve wanted to work in publishing for a long time, particularly in SFF. I’ve come along way from struggling with mental heath and childhood trauma. This is the place I’m currently at and I hope something positive comes out of it.

I recently put out an 2021 anticipated list featuring Adult SFF. That went over really well on twitter to my utter surprise. Adult SFF feels like it’s getting new and fresh voices. Something interesting is happening.

I’ve been starting to recognize that I rarely read YA SFF anymore except for a few titles once in a while. I’m still planning on putting out 2021 anticipated YA SFF but it’ll be more limiting. This past year I’ve loved Young Adult novels like Where Dreams Descend, Lobizona and We Hunt The Flame. I haven’t given up on Young Adult but it is true that I don’t go out of my way to read it anymore. I know why it doesn’t but I haven’t really had the time to sit down and write a discussion post for that yet.

What I Read

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

This book deserves all the tiger’s tits in the world. The Poppy War reimagines historical atrocities. It is set in a fantastical world inspired by ancient China but the plot is inspired by the Second-Sino Japanese War. R.F. Kuang asks ‘what makes someone into a monster?’ She looks into the idea of a very real historical terror: Mao Zedong. Only, what if he was a teenage girl? The books that drag me into the pages are ones that ask questions about ethics, perspective and history. What is interesting about this book is that it is not really the point to make Rin into a hero but to ask what violence and atrocities can cause in real people. R.F. Kuang gives history true feelings. In so many chapters I found myself shaking and yelling and gasping. The Poppy War made me feel things that transformed into the physical. It’s magic is that it makes you feel things on a level that brings you into that world.

tw: blood, gore, mass murder, torture, classism, emotional abuse, bullying, genocide, massacres, self harm, rape (past tense).

City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

This is another historical fantasy, which I find is music to my ears. It is set in a fantasy world inspired by 18th century Egypt. Chakraborty writes beautifully about religion, culture, and myths and weaves it into a book discussing the nuances of colonialism, generational trauma, original violence, and atrocities. I know people often say either Dara or Ali is the villain but honestly? City of Brass reveals that they are the same. Ali is complicit in a lot and so is Dara. I flipped out about Dara breaking his hand just to spend more time with Nahri. Chakraborty is dealing with very real discussions on historical atrocities and brings that into a fantasy to show the reader the nuances of such conversations.

tw: Blood, child trafficking, genocide, gore, rape (mentioned), torture. violence, war

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

I witnessed a robbery at the Goodreads Choice awards. I am here to report a crime. Black Sun met my every fantasy nerd list. A bisexual mermaid and her goth soft boi deserve the world. I am here for their story of revenge. Every reader that loved this is unianimous in that this book makes you want to re-read immediately after finishing it.

Check out my review for more of my thoughts.

tw: suicide, guardian/parental Abuse, emotional and physical, selling of children to pleasure houses, self harm, normalized homophobia from a jailer, blood, violence, gore, death, mourning of a loved one, ableism from a parent.

A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire

This sorta has a lot of problems but the close proximity mixed with haunted house vibes made it just enjoyable enough that I still really liked it.

tw: blood, mass murder, death, suicide

The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter

Orbit sent me a final copy of the Fires of Vengeance for review. Evan Winter always has such layered and complicated discussions through the means of a secondary fantasy world.

Here’s my review.

tw: blood, gore, death, loss of a loved one, classism, hatred based violence, sacrifical death, prejudice, slurs.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia creates a dark, looming, and destructive tone while threading in the beautiful descriptions typical of Gothic Horror novels, like Dracula. Tumors are described as flowering, wallpaper revealing organs underneath and cemeteries have a deathly and destructive silence. Throughout the entire book, you cringe in the way you should cringe when reading a horror novel. The slow and seductive pace adds to the dark atmospherics of the novel. The dreams. I am scared of the mushrooms. All of it.

Here’s my review.

tw: suicidal attempts, emotional and verbal abuse, gaslighting, domestic abuse, incest, blood, gore, white supremacy, sexual harrasment, drinking, attempted rape.

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

This book is very soft, like a blanket of snow. It features Lipan Apache storytelling, family bonds, and friendship. It’s the type of book that is definitely targeted towards younger readers. I would say if you’re adult reader that is looking for YA that can appeal to adult fantasy readers this is not the way to go. I don’t say that as a negative criticism. That’s just fact. There are some Young Adult novels that can appeal to older readers but I think it’s important to remember not to judge a book for being a Young Adult novel just because you’re an older reader. I see adult reviewers do this all the time to fiction that is not indended for them. This is beautifully written for young readers. So that’s something to keep in mind when picking this up.

It’s full of complex themes. I loved the way Little Badger uses European myths and magical lore to be representative of settlers changing and dominating a place that is foreign to those ideas. She tackles colonial violence, and all that comes with settler colonialism, and makes it accessible through the means of fantastical storytelling, particularly for young Lipan Apache readers.

tw: blood, death, murder, genocide (discussed), animal death.

Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices

I don’t often read Graphic Novels or even Marvel comics. I first came across this and was utterly surprised Marvel planned on putting together a selection of superhero stories featuring Indigenous superheroes, all drawn and written by Indigenous people. This collection includes writers Darcie Little Badger, Stephen Graham Jones and Rebecca Roanhorse. The story that really gripped me, of course, is by Stephen Graham Jones. He, along with artist David Cutler, wrote a eerie and cold story featuring X-Men. I know crap about X-Men but I want to read an entire story (or even watch a tv series) written by Stephen Graham Jones and David Cutler as the artist.

tw: blood, death, murder, racism, genocide

The Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken

This is a DNF. I loved The Blacksmith Queen and would absolutely recommend reading that one but this did not have the same magic. I found myself bored a lot. The scenes were jarring and would stop at odd places. There just isn’t enough time in the day to for me to give this the time of day. I am not rating this one since I didn’t finish it.

tw (for what I read): ableism, fatphobia, blood, murder, self harm, alcholism

Tempting Hades by Emma Hamm

The worst book I’ve read all year. I have major regrets preordering this. I truly thought it was going to be a fun book to read. I just needed something to take me away from the stress of life. This book really said we’re gonna stress you out. Sob. It is just incest hell. You know how The Mortal Instruments has that incest plot? That part. That exact part but it isn’t fake.

Here’s the thing about Greek myths being told in the 21st century. Your audience is not living in the incestopia of Ancient Greece. Many authors, especially SFF authors, do not uplift incest as some romantic dark fantasy. Some tackle the rather unethical aspects of fairy tales, myths and lore as a point. If incest becomes an aspect in the story it is critiqued without making out as some romantized tale of old (looks to Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic). Even the creator of Lore Olympus makes a point to use the roots of Greek myths without praising some of its nastier “habits” shall we say. I am not fond of the stereotypical depiction of abuse nor for the narrative that forgives parents so easily for the abuse they inflict on their children.

I expected more. Not only did I expect more in terms of ethics, an ongoing conversation in indie publishing, but I also expected more in terms of storytelling. Emma Hamm has a bit of a developmental problem in her books. The last two I’ve read have had entire sections that seemed missing, clunky, or lacking in serious character development. However, I have read Elizabeth Frost. I would recommend trying some of her books under her pen name instead.

tw: incest (unchallenged), sexual harrassment, parental abuse (unchallenged).

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

This is the single best contemporary romance with a plus size heroine I’ve read. Yes, I only rated it 3 stars. Truly, most books featuring plus size heroines tend to lean on them having to develop through their own fatphobia and I’m just tired of that. It’s the main reason I haven’t read a particularly popular Bachelorette romance. Not this book. This book is full of giving the finger to fatphobia. The heroine is already at that place where she is self assured of her body but she is struggling having relationships where she’s loved as her full self. My criticisms are in my review but I had some problems with the way the author is consistently pointing fingers at a secret we know but the heroine doesn’t.

Here’s my review.

tw: parental abuse (emotional and verbal), mention of a co-worker being racist and misogynistic, parent being fatphobic, use of b*rber, parent being ableist, cyber-bulling,

Heartbeat Braves by Pamela Sanderson

This is a contemporary romance between two Native people trying to help the Urban Indian Center in their community and in the midst of this they fall in love. It’s fluffy and there are nerdy sex jokes. Like other have mentioned this book does a bit of a pacing and scene transition problem. There are places that could use some tightening and editing. However, it a cute fluffy romance that sets itself apart from other romances and I look forward to seeing what Sanderson does in the future.

This was the group pick for #Indigathon.

tw: racism specific to Native Americans, poverty, discussions about death, parental abandonment.

How To Catch A Queen by Alyssa Cole

I read this during the election. It saved me from anxiety. Enough said.

Here’s my review if you’d like an obsessed rambling on how Alyssa Cole is the ultimate romance author of my heart.

A Few Posts You May Have Missed

• November Releases
• December Releases
• Gay Gothics
• The Zumra Book Tag
• I reviewed We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal
• Angela posted her review of Archangel’s Sun by Nalini Singh.
• Angela’s review of Archangel’s War by Nalini Singh.
• Navessa posted her review of Murder On Cold Street by Sherry Thomas.
• Navessa’s review of A Stitch In Time by Kelley Armstrong.
• Navessa’s review of In Case You Missed It by Lindsey Kelk.

What I Watched

I don’t really watch a whole lot but I do dip into some things once in a while. I’m currently still watching Tale of the Nine-Tailed, Vagrant Queen, and Inuyasha.

I’m very obsessed with Tale of the Nine-Tailed. It’s a k-drama murder mystery (with some romance) and features magical creatures, like Gumiho. Vagrant Queen is a space opera. I honestly can’t think of that many SFF shows that focus on a Queer Black woman. I’m also slowly working my way through season 6 of Inuyasha. I can’t believe the sequel series is already out. It just magically appeared out of damn nowhere.

For Halloween, I watched Kwaidan, I Married A Witch and Flash Gordon. Flash Gordon is just golden age SFF nonsensical glamour wrapped up in a strange film. It’s like 80s rock music but in space. Kwaidan is one of my favorite classic foreign films. It’s an old Japanese film featuring horror tales. I would actually recommend watching this in December. There’s a really ice cold story featuring killer snow ladies. I also watched I Married A Witch, featuring my wife Veronica Lake (we’re very gay here). I love old classic films, especially if they have a dash of the supernatural.

Ugly Delicious is just my background music type of show. I watch it whenever I’m not in the mood for anything.

What we’ve been posting on Instagram lately

Blog Posts I Loved

• Tiffany posted Everything You Need to Know Before You Read The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
• Kate posted a book I desperately need to read. It’s all for the villain protagonist. Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald // blood, gore, death, and an ambitious villainess who doesn’t see herself as one
• Alison posted a conversation I’d like the book community to have more often Fatphobia In Books
• Bertie posted 10 Books By Trans & Non-Binary Authors in Celebration of Transgender Awareness Week
• Genissa posted a review of my new favorite + the aesthetics {STORY DIARY} BLACK SUN BY REBECCA ROANHORSE | AN EPIC FANTASY UNLIKE ANYTHING I’VE EVER READ + FAVORITE QUOTES

• What good books have you been reading? Any that didn’t work for you?
• How is your December reading going?
• Did you watch or read anything you liked?

If you’ve read or watched anything I mentioned let me know in the comments!